Cameras coming for highway construction zones

Cameras and other equipment will be installed in some highway construction zones across Newfoundland and Labrador this summer, to protect the safety of workers.

Transportation Minister Steve Crocker said the provincial governmentwill partner with contractors to install the cameras to determine their effectiveness as an enforcement tool.

"Far too often, our contractors report instances of motorists who ignore highway traffic signs, putting the crews' and their own safety in jeopardy," Crocker said.

The cameras will be tried in construction zones with high traffic volumes and speeds, to record the licence plates ofdrivers who don't slow down as well as data about how fast they are going and the time of the violation.

"We will also be increasing our use of attenuators, which are safety barriers designed to absorb the impact of a collision and help redirect out-of-control vehicles away from machinery and workers, reducing the likelihood of vehicles striking the crews," Crocker said.

There will also be an information campaign involving police, municipalities, and groups such as the Heavy Civil Association and the provincial Construction Safety Association.